Davis says defenses gear to stop him

Vernon Davis sat at his locker Friday and raved about his team’s pass-catching depth. Mario Manningham’s shoulder injury leaves him doubtful for Sunday night’s game against New England, so Davis happily listed Colin Kaepernick’s many other options.

Michael Crabtree. Randy Moss. Delanie Walker. Frank Gore.

And maybe Vernon Davis?

“The coaches put in plays for me all the time,” Davis said. “If you came to practice, you’d see – ‘Oh, Vernon is the primary guy.’ But when we get to the game, it just doesn’t work out. The defenses are taking everything away.”

It’s difficult to know if this completely accounts for Davis’ disappearance in recent weeks – he hasn’t snagged everything thrown his way – but the numbers are striking. Davis has caught only three passes in the 49ers‘ past three games. Crabtree has 19 catches in those three games, and Manningham has 10, despite missing last weekend’s victory over Miami.

Manningham’s shoulder problems, and Kyle Williams’ season-ending knee injury on Nov. 25, highlight the evolving nature of San Francisco’s receiving corps. Their absences scrambled the picture, potentially elevating Moss into a more prominent role and prompting the 49ers to activate rookie A.J. Jenkins.

Crabtree clearly counts as Kaepernick’s favorite target – and Davis, the marquee man earlier this season, now seems like an afterthought. Asked if he could re-emerge as a featured receiver Sunday night, Davis made no promises.

“It all depends on how they play me,” he said. “We can’t just watch how they play tight ends on film, because they play me differently. That’s kind of been a setback for me, because they don’t play me the same as other guys.

“They take away a lot of my deep routes, but in that case I expect Crabtree and Moss and some of the other guys to get open. We have a lot of playmakers in our offense.”

Davis no doubt gained the attention of defensive coordinators who watched the season’s first five games, when he often broke free downfield. He caught 20 passes (including four for touchdowns) in those five games and averaged more than 15 yards per catch.

He hasn’t made much noise since then, except for his six-catch, 83-yard outing Nov. 19 against Chicago. The past two weeks, Kaepernick targeted Crabtree a team-high 20 times and Davis only five.

“He’s open,” Kaepernick said of Crabtree, “so you’re going to throw the ball to the guy who’s open.”

It’s hard to dispute the logic, especially given Crabtree’s production. He has become the reliable wide receiver the 49ers expected when they made him the No. 10 overall choice in the 2009 draft.

Most noticeably, Crabtree is accumulating yards-after-the-catch with Jerry Rice-like efficiency. Coach Jim Harbaugh and Gore both went out of their way this week to praise Crabtree’s work after he makes a catch.

Then there’s Moss, the enigma returning to New England to face one of his former teams. The Patriots figure to keep close tabs on No. 84, but Manningham’s injury could create more opportunities for him Sunday night.

Moss, for his part, suggested the 49ers might want to lean on Gore to control the ball and keep Tom Brady’s high-powered offense off the field.

“We’ve got to play complementary football,” Moss said in a rare session with reporters this week. “I think if we do that and try not to let Tom and their offense run the score up on us, I think it will be a good game.”